Page 1
Click on the thumbnails or the linked #'s to see a normal size view.
#1 Heading northeast out of Lubbock on US 62/82 the storm near Quitaque was visible in the distance. New development was occurring to the south and southwest along the frontal boundary. The new development would be just north of US 70 by the time I got to Floydada.
#1 | #2 | #3 |
In #2,
shot looking northeast from FM 28 just south of US 70 (in far eastern Floyd
County), the intake area of a storm northwest of Matador can be seen.
It was high based but showing signs of rotation both visually and on Doppler
radar. Low level rotation was weak though it increased as precipitation
began to wrap around the back of the intake area as seen in #3.
The outflow was not reaching the base of the next cell to the west southwest,
which seemed to have a higher base and no real definition on the intake
area as seen in #4.
There was a slight visible break between the cell to the northeast and
this new developing cell.
As the outflow continued to wrap around the northeast cell, the intake
area lowered and became a bit more interesting as seen in #5.
However, rotation and vertical motion remained rather weak. This
cell was now moving SE at about 5 MPH.
Looking back at the newer cell to the northwest, I was very surprised
to see a small, but very well defined funnel (#6)
hanging below the rain free base. This looked like a 'cold air funnel'
type and I didn't expect much of it at the time. This was reported
to the NWS as a funnel, and now both the area to the northeast and
this new funnel were closely monitored.
#4 | #5 | #6 |
A large area of rotating dust was seen under the base to the northeast
(#7)
and I thought that it might be about to form a tornado. However, it didn't
persist and no funnel was detected from this intake area.
Checking back to the northwest showed a debris cloud forming below
the funnel (#8)
and the event was now reported as a tornado. I should have followed
my intuition at this point and headed west toward this event, but as there
was still more interest in the area to the northeast, so I didn't move
and hence did not get any closer to what would follow.
After about five minutes this 'landspout' began to dissipate (#9)
#7 | #8 | #9 |
Shortly after the dissipation of the 'spout, another debris/dust column
was seen slight further south. A third one appeared shortly after,
again a short ways south of the second event. A small funnel was
seen briefly with the second tornado, but it didn't persist as long as
the first. The intake area to our northeast, now taking on a more
shelf cloud like appearance (#10)
was moving south and along with it came precipitation which motivated us
to shift south on FM 28 to the north side of the community of Dougherty.
#10 |
The account will be continued on the next page.
Continued on Page 2.
Back to the Weather Page.
Back to the Main Page.